Biomedical subjects

S E Spycher

Publications and source records attributed to S E Spycher.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

A novel human tocopherol-associated protein: cloning, in vitro expression, and characterization.

Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) is an essential dietary nutrient for humans and animals. The mechanisms involved in cellular regulation as well as in the preferential cellular and tissue accumulation of alpha-tocopherol are not yet well established. We previously reported (Stocker, A., Zimmer, S., Spycher, S. E., and Azzi, A. (1999) IUBMB Life 48, 49-55) the identification of a novel 46-kDa tocopherol-associated protein (TAP) in the cytosol of bovine liver. Here, we describe the identification, the molecular cloning into Escherichia coli, and the in vitro expression of the human homologue of bovine TAP, hTAP. This protein appears to belong to a family of hydrophobic ligand binding proteins, which have the CRAL (cis-retinal binding motif) sequence in common. By using a biotinylated alpha-tocopherol derivative and the IASys resonant mirror biosensor, the purified recombinant protein was shown to bind tocopherol at a specific binding site with K(d) 4.6 x 10(-7) m. Northern analyses showed that hTAP mRNA has a size of approximately 2800 base pairs and is ubiquitously expressed. The highest amounts of hTAP message are found in liver, brain, and prostate. In conclusion, hTAP has sequence homology to proteins containing the CRAL_TRIO structural motif. TAP binds to alpha-tocopherol and biotinylated tocopherol, suggesting the existence of a hydrophobic pocket, possibly analogous to that of SEC14.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

PubMed1999

Modulation of alpha-tropomyosin expression by alpha-tocopherol in rat vascular smooth muscle cells.

The effect of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) on gene expression in rat vascular smooth muscle cells was studied by the differential display technique. One gene out of about 1000 genes analyzed, identified as alpha-tropomyosin, showed an increased transcription level caused by alpha-tocopherol treatment. Northern and Western blot analysis revealed a time-dependent transient up-regulation of the amount of mRNA (peak between 2 and 3 h) and protein (peak at 5 h) in alpha-tocopherol-treated cells. No effect was observed in cells treated with beta-tocopherol.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Signal transduction in rat vascular smooth muscle cells: control of osmotically induced aldose reductase expression by cell kinases and phosphatases.

We have studied the osmotically induced gene expression (measured as chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter gene expression) in rat smooth muscle cell primary cultures (rSMC), under the control of osmotic response elements (ORE). It was found that osmotically induced gene expression is sensitive to signal transduction inhibitors and activators. In particular, protein kinase C inhibition by calphostin C prevented gene expression by osmotic response. On the other hand, receptor tyrosine kinase inhibition has been shown to produce an enhancement of gene expression. This suggests that tyrosine kinase receptor activation exerts an inhibitory action on ORE induced gene expression. Gene expression was also induced by treating cells with PD098059, a specific inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase. Moreover, the same inhibitors and activators have been shown to affect the hyperosmosis induced expression of aldose reductase gene.

Aldehyde Reductase↗

PubMed1999

Identification of a novel cytosolic tocopherol-binding protein: structure, specificity, and tissue distribution.

Alpha-tocopherol plays an important role as a lipid-soluble antioxidant. It is present in all major mammalian cell types and shows tissue-specific distribution. This suggests the presence of specific proteins involved in intracellular distribution or metabolism of alpha-tocopherol. A diminution of tocopherol plasma concentrations contributes to the development of diseases such as vitamin E deficiency (AVED), atherosclerosis, and prostate cancer. Further evidence has been obtained for the existence of sites in cellular metabolism and signal transduction where alpha-tocopherol potentially plays a regulatory role. A signal transduction modulation specific for alpha-tocopherol has been described in several model systems. Using radioactively labeled alpha-tocopherol as tracer, we have isolated a new alpha-tocopherol-associated protein (TAP) from bovine liver. This protein has a molecular mass of 46 kDa and an isoelectric point of 8.1. From its partial amino acid sequence, a human gene has been identified with high homology to the newly described protein. Sequence analysis has established that the new TAP has structural motifs suggesting its belonging to a family of hydrophobic ligand-binding proteins (RALBP, CRALBP, alpha-TTP, SEC 14, PTN 9, RSEC 45). Human TAP has been cloned into Escherichia coli, and its tissue-specific expression has been assessed by Northern blot analysis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Aldose reductase induction: a novel response to oxidative stress of smooth muscle cells.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or 4-hydroxy-2,3-trans-nonenal (HNE) treatment of rat vascular smooth muscle cells (A7r5) caused induction of aldose reductase mRNA. Induction was dose (10-100 microM H2O2, 1-10 microM HNE) and time dependent, reaching a maximum (three- to fourfold) after 7-12 h. Treatment of cells with actinomycin D confirmed de novo synthesis of aldose reductase mRNA. H2O2-induced expression was prevented by catalase but unaffected by Desferal, indicating that metal catalyzed degradation of peroxide was not involved. Induction of enzymatically active aldose reductase by H2O2 and HNE was confirmed using Western blotting and enzyme assays. Aldose reductase can metabolize several aldehyde compounds including HNE, a major toxic product of lipid peroxidation. Inclusion of Sorbinil, an aldose reductase inhibitor, in toxicity assays resulted in a significant (twofold) enhancement of HNE-mediated killing of A7r5 cells, suggesting a protective role of aldose reductase against HNE-induced cell death. These data indicate that the induction of aldose reductase during oxidative stress might represent an important cellular antioxidant defense mechanism.

Aldehyde Reductase↗

PubMed1987

A functional, thioester-containing alpha 2-macroglobulin homologue isolated from the hemolymph of the American lobster (Homarus americanus).

An alpha 2-macroglobulin-like protease inhibitor was isolated from the cell-free hemolymph of the american lobster (Homarus americanus) by ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. Whereas the undissociated molecule has a molecular weight of 342,000 as determined by ultracentrifugation studies, under reducing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the protein has a subunit molecular weight of 180,000. On the basis of this and other evidence, we conclude that the lobster protein is a dimer consisting of two disulfide-bonded monomers. The purified protein inhibits proteolytic enzymes but protects the esterolytic activity of trypsin toward low molecular weight substrates from inactivation by soybean trypsin inhibitor. The methylamine sensitivity of this activity suggests the presence of an internal thioester bond. This was confirmed by the covalent incorporation of [14C]methylamine, by the formation of Mr 55,000 and 125,000 autolytic cleavage fragments in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and, more directly, by the amino acid sequence of a tryptic peptide containing the putative thioester region. Whereas the N-terminal amino acid sequence (22 residues) of the protein revealed an overall identity of only 18% when compared with the human protein, the sequence of the thioester-containing peptide was highly conserved, both with respect to human alpha 2-macroglobulin and to other proteins having a thioester bond. The protein showed the "slow to fast" conformational change typical in alpha 2-macroglobulins in nondenaturing gel electrophoresis after treatment with trypsin, but not after incubation with methylamine.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1986

Human complement component C1s. Partial sequence determination of the heavy chain and identification of the peptide bond cleaved during activation.

Human C1s proenzyme (Mr 83 000) was isolated by a rapid two-stage method involving affinity chromatography of C1 on IgG-Sepharose and isolation of subcomponent C1s by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel. Single-chain C1s proenzyme was activated to two-chain C1s with self-activated C1r. After reduction and S-carboxamidomethylation the heavy chain of C1s (Mr 57 000) was isolated by ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel. Cleavage of C1s heavy chain with CNBr yielded five fragments whose N-terminal sequences were determined. The alignment of the fragments within the heavy chain was established by tryptic peptides containing methionine. C1s heavy chain comprises about 470 amino acid residues and 42% of its sequence was determined. An intrachain sequence homology and a homology to the alpha 2 chain of human haptoglobin were identified. The C-terminal CNBr fragment comprising 44 amino acid residues was completely sequenced. From BNPS-skatole cleavage of reduced and alkylated C1s proenzyme a fragment was isolated which overlaps the C1s heavy and light chain parts and which contains the peptide bond cleaved during activation. The results show that this is an Arg-Ile bond and that under standard conditions of activation no peptide material is liberated from this portion of the molecule. The sequence data and homology to two-chain serine proteases indicate a single interchain disulfide bond in C1s.

Amino Acid Sequence↗